Peabody and Sherman - August 2103

"It's called the Way-Back
Machine Sherman, and I'm taking us to the 1950s for a history lesson."

"What was happening then?"

"Well Sherman, society and
the church were consumed with a big issue. It seems that a so-called
'Black Agenda' had developed when some upstart African-American people
decided that they deserved the same civil rights as white people. Some
even thought they should be able to marry white folks. Government leaders
tried to stop them and church leaders used the Bible to justify white
supremacy."

"They didn't really believe
that whites were superior, did they?"

"I don't know what they
believed, but eventually racial bigotry began to subside. Now we have
to make another stop because there's something else I want to show
you."

"Where to now Mr. Peabody?"

"We are going to the 1990s.
Now society and the church were consumed with another big issue. It
seems that a so-called 'Homosexual Agenda' had developed and some upstart
gays and lesbians decided that they deserved the same civil rights
as heterosexual people. Some even thought they should be able to marry
other gay or lesbian folks. Government leaders tried to stop them and
church leaders used the Bible to justify punishing homosexuals."

"Oh Mr. Peabody, surely
people had learned by then not to discriminate against people who were
different."

"Actually Sherman, it wasn't
until the beginning of the 21st Century that enough people began to
understand that everyone should be treated equally."

"So what happened Mr. Peabody?"

"Well, Sherman, after years
of argument the U.S. Supreme Court finally decriminalized homosexual
behaviors. Shortly thereafter Canada legalized gay marriages. Then
states began extending civil rights to gays, lesbians and transgendered
people. Almost overnight, people began to have hope for the future.
Organizations formed and lobbied intensively to change governmental
agencies, corporations and churches. Individuals who had always remained
quiet discovered they had meaningful voices. Groups that used to bicker
over their differences began to forge alliances to seek acceptance
for all. Grass roots movements sprang up everywhere as people recognized
the power of their sheer numbers and withheld their support from organizations
that were unresponsive. Youth groups helped lead the drive to return
relevance to our institutions. People everywhere began to throw the
rascals out."

"Wow Mr. Peabody. How did
regular people overcome those in power?"

"It
was very interesting, Sherman. Despite some very nasty verbal sniping
from conservative bastions,
the people didn't riot or resort to violence. Nonetheless, there was
a pervasive unwillingness to tolerate the charades of the power brokers
any longer. They knew that democracy wasn't a spectator sport and so
they just got involved in very large numbers.

"People started insisting
on truth telling. Instead of remaining cynical, they required open,
honest communication. The spin-doctors who continued to obfuscate (isn't
that a great word Sherman?) were ousted from positions of influence.

"People started insisting
on real freedom of religion. Instead of linking obedience to God with
democracy, they demanded a tolerant, secular, pluralistic democracy.
Anyone who attempted to impose his or her religious beliefs through
government regulation was pushed firmly aside.

"People started insisting
on dialog. Instead of remaining apathetic about repeated gay-bashing
sound bites, they strove for mutual, serious examination of the evidence.
The hard-core dogmatics that refused discourse and clung to discord,
were recalled from positions of authority.

"People started insisting
on an end to discrimination. Instead of accepting discrimination against
some unpopular splinter groups, they required equal treatment for all.
Hypocrisy was placed on life support.

"It was an incredible time,
but what many people don't know is that it was at that time that the
Declaration of Interdependence was born."

"Oh come on Mr. Peabody. Everybody
knows that the Declaration of Independence happened in the late 1700s!"

"Ah Sherman, I said Interdependence
not Independence. Now everyone understands that it's about having the freedom
to be myself coupled with the responsibility to ensure that everyone has
the same freedom so long as I do not use my freedom to impair someone else's
freedom. It took a long time to learn that lesson, but it was worth the struggle."

"What a great history lesson Mr.
Peabody! I'm sure glad so many people got the message and worked so hard.
They sure made my life better in the 22nd century. Thanks pioneers of Interdependence!"

I am learning that you and I can fix the world. It means headaches, hard work, problems, frustration, failures, and anxiety. It also means a better world for our children and for us. My personal focus has been to raise the consciousness of my congregation to the concerns of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people. We had a special reconciliation service in February and have had at least one LGBT article in every edition of our church paper since then. I conducted two programs at my church as Rachel, which was the first time the congregation had seen me in a dress in church. All of these actions have helped to stretch the congregation and gain greater empathy for LGBT issues. I intend to continue these efforts and extend them to the United Methodist denomination and to local governmental agencies.

I believe that we can all become the leaders that our society needs so desperately. I believe that we can replace control, money and power with the principles of justice, liberty and love. I believe that if we live by our principles and teach them to our children, Sherman's world will truly be a better place for everyone. I believe in the following quote from The Way of the Bull by Leo Buscaglia:

"Don't spend your precious time
asking, 'Why isn't the world a better place?' It will only be time wasted.
The question to ask is, 'How can I make it better?' To that there is an answer."

There is an incredible array of organizations that address the spiritual and social issues related to the LGBT community. Check them out.